Wales is a Foreign Country Claim Outrage

Fflint Football Club - a Welsh football club - answered an advert of sponsorship of non-league teams in a football paper by an English businessman offering free shirts to football clubs, only to be turned down because Wales "is a foreign country".

Victor Gladwish of Sussex based company Gladwish Land Sales told Michael Beech, secretary of the club, via email, he did not sponsor "foreign" teams.

Mr Gladwish said he did not do business in Wales.

Mr Beech saw the advert in the Welsh edition of the Non-League Paper offering home and away strips for one team from a league.

Subsequently he contacted Mr Gladwish for more information however was shocked to receive the following reply:

"Sorry, we do not sell land in foreign countries so do not do footy teams in foreign countries."

Mr Beech replied: "Why, what country are you doing this offer in? We are in the UK."

Naturally, he was stunned by Mr Gladwish's reply, which read: "UK ended when the Labour government made Wales independent.

"Thousands of soldiers died unifying the countries. We do not sell land in Wales. You have Welsh on your Land Registry documents and as an ex-soldier I object."

When Mr Beech pointed out Wales was British and followed English laws, Mr Gladwish replied with: "I am English and you are Welsh".

Understandably Mr Beech was annoyed with the attitude shown: "I'm not annoyed by the fact he said no. If he had e-mailed me back and said you are not within our catchment area, that would have been fine.

"It's the way he was (attacking) the Welsh.

"We're not foreigners in Wales. We're as much a part of the UK as Horsham in Sussex is.

"I think other people would be annoyed about it and rightly so. It is an insult really."

Victor Gladwish, has put a great eal of money into non-league football sponsorship throughout England, including the Conference League Cup, and retorted "it is up to me who I give away things to, and I do not sell land in Wales."

He went on to say: "Wales is in Europe and the World Cup as a nation so either you are part of England or not, you cannot have it both ways.

"For the state of the union ask the Labour government - they created your assembly three years ago.

"Any further discussions and I will support Uefa and Fifa in expelling Wales from their competitions. Make your minds up."

To Mr Glaswish...no-one said we were part of England, we are a part of Great Britain and the UK, and have not been made independent. Also, the Assembly Government was set up in 1999, not 2002 as you wrongly pointed out.

Additionally, in your advert it did not say it was unavailable to teams who are Welsh and play their games in Wales.

Mr Gladwish's comments are very much xenophobic and racist, the very problems that football is trying to eradicate from the game.

As for expelling Wales from UEFA and FIFA competitions, there are no grounds for this to happen, and you do not have the power to influence anyone as regards this. They do not tolerate racism and xenophobia, so why should they tolerate your claims to expell us from any competition?